Devices and methods of the above-mentioned kind are known in the art, e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,162. Here, packages are passed through a housing divided into zones. In the first zone, hot air is introduced for heating the packages. In the second zone, gaseous hydrogen-peroxide is introduced for sterilizing the heated packages. In the third and final zone, the packages are filled with sterile contents. The three zones are all contained in one housing and are not physically separated from each other. Therefore, it may be difficult to control the flow between the different zones.
EP-A-394 734 discloses another device and method for sterilizing objects. In the device and method described, a vertically displaceable hood is placed over the object to be sterilized. A negative pressure is produced in the hood and a sterilization gas is introduced. The fact that a displaceable hood is needed makes this device somewhat complex.